Sean H
10-01-2009, 05:08 PM
http://www.victoryteam.ae/news_detail.asp?id=68
Stresa (ITALY): Fazza Class 1 powerboat crew Nadir Bin Hindi and Arif Al Zafeen will be aiming to complete a second Italian Job in a fortnight when they line up for the Italian Grand Prix on Lake Maggiore in Stresa this weekend.
Two weeks ago, Bin Hindi and Al Zafeen wrapped up the UIM Class 3 (Six Litre) crown with a 100% record in the three-race series staged at Nettuno near Rome. And as the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship makes a welcome return to Italian waters for the first time since 2002, the Fazza 3 crew will be confident that they can lift the European Championship for the sixth time in the Victory Team’s history.
Al Zafeen - who won the European title in 2007 alongside Jean-Marc Sanchez - and Bin Hindi lead the World Championship standings and hold a seven-point advantage over their teammates and main challengers Mohammed Al Mehairi and Sanchez in the European title race.
As at the previous Class 1 race weekend in Romania, two races will be staged with the first on Saturday (Oct 3) followed by the second 24 hours later. With a maximum 40 points on offer, neither outfit will be complacent and will remember last year when a broken propeller robbed the team of the title, losing out to Jotun's Inge Brigt Aarbakke and Jorn Tandberg, by a single point.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated as I was when we lost the European title by just one point,” said Bin Hindi, a former jet ski world champion who also now holds both the Class 3 and Class 1 world powerboat titles.
“But that’s why you can never take anything for granted in this sport. Arif and I may be on a great run right now but it only takes a lapse in concentration or a faulty part to bring that run to an end. We need to be as focused as the boat’s mechanical crew if we are to stay the course and lift the world title in Dubai in December.”
Victory 1 throttleman Sanchez is eager to take his second win of the season and to win back the European title. To do it, the Frenchman and rookie Mohammad Al Mehairi have to beat Fazza.
“Arif and Nadir is a very strong partnership already and their potential is huge,” said Sanchez. “They have a great relationship and on the perfect day and with no problems, they are hard - almost impossible - to beat. Mohammad and I are not at that level yet. Every race we improve, we give our best, but it will be very hard to beat Fazza.”
If they are to stand any chance of out-pacing Fazza, Sanchez believes the start is where they must grab the advantage to help overturn the seven points deficit. “In terms of performance there is not a great difference between our boats. Fazza is a good all round boat - in flat or rough conditions - my boat is better in rougher water and can be difficult to set-up in flat conditions.
“As in most races these days, it will all be down to the start, as we showed in Arendal. If we are in front at the first corner we will be difficult to pass and to some degree can control the race, but we have to make that good start.”
Stresa (ITALY): Fazza Class 1 powerboat crew Nadir Bin Hindi and Arif Al Zafeen will be aiming to complete a second Italian Job in a fortnight when they line up for the Italian Grand Prix on Lake Maggiore in Stresa this weekend.
Two weeks ago, Bin Hindi and Al Zafeen wrapped up the UIM Class 3 (Six Litre) crown with a 100% record in the three-race series staged at Nettuno near Rome. And as the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship makes a welcome return to Italian waters for the first time since 2002, the Fazza 3 crew will be confident that they can lift the European Championship for the sixth time in the Victory Team’s history.
Al Zafeen - who won the European title in 2007 alongside Jean-Marc Sanchez - and Bin Hindi lead the World Championship standings and hold a seven-point advantage over their teammates and main challengers Mohammed Al Mehairi and Sanchez in the European title race.
As at the previous Class 1 race weekend in Romania, two races will be staged with the first on Saturday (Oct 3) followed by the second 24 hours later. With a maximum 40 points on offer, neither outfit will be complacent and will remember last year when a broken propeller robbed the team of the title, losing out to Jotun's Inge Brigt Aarbakke and Jorn Tandberg, by a single point.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated as I was when we lost the European title by just one point,” said Bin Hindi, a former jet ski world champion who also now holds both the Class 3 and Class 1 world powerboat titles.
“But that’s why you can never take anything for granted in this sport. Arif and I may be on a great run right now but it only takes a lapse in concentration or a faulty part to bring that run to an end. We need to be as focused as the boat’s mechanical crew if we are to stay the course and lift the world title in Dubai in December.”
Victory 1 throttleman Sanchez is eager to take his second win of the season and to win back the European title. To do it, the Frenchman and rookie Mohammad Al Mehairi have to beat Fazza.
“Arif and Nadir is a very strong partnership already and their potential is huge,” said Sanchez. “They have a great relationship and on the perfect day and with no problems, they are hard - almost impossible - to beat. Mohammad and I are not at that level yet. Every race we improve, we give our best, but it will be very hard to beat Fazza.”
If they are to stand any chance of out-pacing Fazza, Sanchez believes the start is where they must grab the advantage to help overturn the seven points deficit. “In terms of performance there is not a great difference between our boats. Fazza is a good all round boat - in flat or rough conditions - my boat is better in rougher water and can be difficult to set-up in flat conditions.
“As in most races these days, it will all be down to the start, as we showed in Arendal. If we are in front at the first corner we will be difficult to pass and to some degree can control the race, but we have to make that good start.”